Loss of brainstem acoustic evoked potentials with spontaneous breathing in a patient with supratentorial lesion.
The loss of brainstem acoustic evoked potentials (BAEP) is considered as a confirmatory test for the diagnosis of brain death in patients with supratentorial lesions. We report a patient with ischemia in the territory of the left middle and anterior cerebral artery, who showed a loss of BAEP waves III-V as a sign of brainstem compression, but maintained spontaneous breathing and EEG activities. We conclude that occasionally BAEP may provide misleading results in the diagnosis of brain death.
Biniek
R
R
Department of Neurology, RWTH Aachen, FRG.
Ferbert
A
A
Buchner
H
H
Brückmann
H
H
D000368:Aged; D001926:Brain Death / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D012119:Respiration / Q000502:physiology*